14 best DIY box hair dyes that offer great colour and little damage, according to online reviewers

There is no better way to revamp your everyday style than with a new hair colour. Going blonde reveals your bold personality, while pastel dyes enhance your playful streak, and muted browns gently soften your appearance. However, with the circuit breaker measures in place now, hair salons aren’t allowed to offer colouring services (they can only do basic haircuts).

That’s where box dyes come in handy – grabbing them off the shelves at supermarkets and pharmacies (they’re still open!) allows you to dye your hair anytime in the comfort of your own home.

The only problem is the large number of at-home dyes in the market. It is a dizzying experience selecting just one out of the array. To help you in making this decision, here are the 15 best DIY box hair dyes for you to paint your hair your dream colour. Many of these don’t just deliver beautiful, vibrant colours, but also has minimal damage to the hair.

1. Liese Creamy Bubble Color

Looking at the salon process, it is hard to imagine doing that on our own. Liese recognises this problem and introduced a thick foaming dye that coats the hair fully. This ensures an even colour turnout with minimal hassle, while the Lanolin acid weaved into the formula protects the hair during the process. It also leaves a smooth and moist finish, as if you did it at a salon!

Sorted into a Natural and Design series, there are 16 colours to choose from. All the colours are mixed with grey and blue undertones to achieve a sheer, lustrously soft finish. Reviewers have also touted the dyeing process to be as easy as shampooing your hair! With a range that caters from your girl next door days to your wilder phases, this is definitely a brand to go back to every time you have the urge to change up your look.

Liese Creamy Bubble Color retails at SGD19.90 on Watsons and Guardian.

2. La Riche Directions Hair Colour

If bold, unapologetic hair colours are what you gravitate to, then La Riche’s Directions line of hair tubs will be right up your alley. Cruelty-free and vegan, their dyes are conditioning and contain no ammonia, peroxide or PPD. These chemicals damage hair structural integrity, resulting in dry and brittle hair. Without these ingredients, you can rest assured that rough hair textures will be the least of your problem when pursuing brightly coloured shades.

Best of all, these tubs are available in 36 strikingly different colours that are semi-permanent in nature. This means you can switch up your colours more often, giving you more opportunities to challenge fashion boundaries and styles. This is also a great way to spice up your Instagram feed while keeping it colour-coded! However, it is good to note that while there are many that love this tub of magic, some have stated that it works best on lightened hair.

La Riche Directions Hair Color retails at SGD9 on Venus Beauty.

3. Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful Color

As the name suggests, this Revlon hair dye promises silky hair after a fresh dye. It is no surprise that this drugstore brand is one of the best-selling hair dyes in the USA, given that it produces long-lasting, high definition colour with a glossy finish. They achieve these stellar results through their 3D colour gel technology that delivers multi-tonal natural but rich pigments.

Their formula is not only ammonia-free but also infused with silk proteins that leave the hair in a silky smooth condition. It even has a UV defence system that keeps the colour looking vibrant and dimensional while masking any grey strands! Many reviewers have crowned Colorsilk their holy grail, and their 4.3 star rating on Influenster certainly coincides with this sentiment.

Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful Color retails at SGD9.90 on Watsons and Fairprice.

4. BEAUTYLABO Whip Hair

As Taylor Swift famously sang, “shake it off!” This adorably packaged hair dye wants you to do exactly that. Providing you with a pink mixer bottle, the dye comes separately as a developer and colourant. You combine these by dumping them into the mixer, and shake, shake, shake! What you will end up with is a non-drip luscious whipped foam that is easy to apply.

Available in seven colours such as Milktea Beige and Honey Lemon,  their smooth foam is enriched with honey, rose water and fruit extracts for moisturised shiny hair. A hit among many bloggers in Singapore, this box hair dye has received many positive feedback but reviewers also cautioned that the smell of the dye might be overpowering for some. However, the smell does not linger once the product has been rinsed off.

BEAUTYLABO Whip Hair retails at SGD16.90 on Watsons.

5. L’Oreal Paris Excellence Crème Hair Colour

Boasting 100% grey hair coverage, L’Oreal Paris proves their box dye’s excellence through its excellent reviews online. With four-star ratings on Amazon and Influenster, this product is well-loved for its affordable price point that manages to produce long-lasting results. The product also claims to nourish the hair with a tripe protection formulation that seals, replenishes and conditions. The generous conditioning results in a creamy colour and radiant shine that will earn you compliments even after multiple washes. Available in 36 varieties, this at-home dye is best suited for those looking to achieve a natural dye job without damaging the hair.

L’Oreal Paris Excellence Crème Hair Colour retails at SGD19.90 on Watsons and Guardian.

6. CIELO Cream Hair Color

The CIELO Cream is definitely a favourite among many Singaporeans and has even been featured on the popular beauty variety show Lady First Singapore. Its rave reviews stem from its fuss-free application. With a pre-packed colour mixture that dispenses creamy foam on a provided comb, it is a neat and convenient application process. Its non-drip foam is best suited for coating pesky grey strands and touching up the roots.

The bottle also preserves the dye for multiple touch-ups if you choose not to dye your entire head. This affordable dye also leaves your hair shiny and smooth due to illuminating and moisturising ingredients present within. Although the colour range is limited to six colours, its efficient dyeing process is definitely a big plus. Reviewers have also noted that this dye does not have any bad smells, which is another win for this brand!

CIELO Cream Hair Color retails at SGD17.90 on Guardian and Watsons.

7. DIXMOND SG Hair Dyes

This may come as a surprise to some, but the ‘support local’ train has a stop in hair dyes as well! Organic, non-damaging and long-lasting, this affordable hair dye has everything you would want to produce saturated colouration on your tresses.

With a wide selection of 24 bright and pastel colours to select from, this product comes highly raved for the intense pigmentation it delivers with minimal damage to the hair. This is great for our thinner Asian hair that does not gel well with multiple bleaching. Not to mention, their customer service is known to be incredibly helpful, with a WhatsApp line you can contact.

However, some have pointed out that their dye process might take a little longer for the bleach to permeate the hair, but we deem it worthwhile considering the numerous beautiful outcomes many have shared online.

DIXMOND SG Hair Dyes retails at SGD12.90 on their official website.

8. Phytocolor Permanent Hair Colour

Phyto is reputable for its natural and botanical products, and their box dyes are no exceptions. Enriched with a unique blend of botanical pigments derived from the dye plants, they ensure a result that is intensely radiant and natural in colour. It is also ammonia-free, allowing our hair to thrive and remain healthy even in the dyeing process. A reviewer claimed that this product was her safest choice, and led to non-damaging results better than that of a salon. It is also a good choice for those with sensitive scalps, as ingredients like Epaline have anti-irritant properties to ensure a comfortable dye.

Phytocolor Permanent Hair Colour retails at SGD29.90 on their official website.

9. APRILSKIN Turn Up Hair Colour Cream

If you have commitment issues staying with one hair colour, then this temporary dye is the one for you. Available in seven dynamic colours reminiscent of Kpop idols, APRILSKIN’s range of hair tints also double up as hair treatments. Featuring 20 herb extracts such as jojoba oil, lavender and sage, these colourful pigments nourishes hair while leaving your tresses in bright hues that last for two weeks. However, reviewers have noted that these tints only work well on bleached or lightened hair. For those who fulfil this prerequisite, these tubes of funky dyes are an incredibly affordable alternative to salon trips. This is definitely one of the best box hair dyes in the market to try.

APRILSKIN Turn Up Hair Colour Cream retails at SGD15 on Guardian.

10. Mise En Scene Hello Bubble Foam Dye

If you are a fan of K-pop sensation Blackpink, you would have definitely heard of this brand. With their lovely faces plastered on its packaging, this Korean brand presents a foam dye that evenly coats hair with pigmented colour. Containing a “magic ampoule”, the ammonia-free product keeps the hair lustrously soft and smooth with little damage. The floral scent is a pleasant break from heavy chemicals used in salons, while the fine foam adheres well to the hair to ensure an efficient application process.

Many YouTubers who have tried out this dye praised it for its easy application process and the soft hair achieved after. However, some have noted that the resulting colour is brighter than the pictures suggest, so do keep that in mind especially if you have bleached hair!

Mise En Scene Hello Bubble Foam Dye retails at SGD15 on Shopee.

11. Garnier Color Naturals

With claims that this is the best tangle-free hair dye, Garnier’s Color Naturals is an ammonia-free hair colour that provides 100% grey coverage and rich colour. Its special Colour Lock technology also aids in maintaining an eight-week lifespan on its rich pigments, which are available in eight gorgeous shades designed for Asian skin tones.

On top of these, it is also enriched with the goodness of three oils, almond, olive and avocado, to nourish hair while amping up its shine. The non-drip formulation also keeps the dye safely away from eyes and face, allowing you to have a fuss-free DIY salon experience. Many online have deemed this as a value for money dye that fulfils our desire for a new hairdo without breaking the bank.

Garnier Color Naturals retails at SGD5.80 on Dei.

12. Daeng Gi Meo Ri Medicinal Herb Hair Colour

Concocted with medicinal herb extracts, this nourishing dye strengthens hair while coating each strand with a layer of natural colouration. Of the herbs used, the standouts are Korean ginseng and Chrysanthemum Indicum that are known for their ability to provide nutrition to the scalp and hair, reduce itching, and improve scalp health. In the mix is also Keratin, a hair protein that protects damaged hair from hair-dyeing while introducing a natural moisturising substance to quench dry hair. Many reviewers rave over how healthy their locks felt after dyeing, and are thoroughly impressed by the product’s amazing coverage despite it having no harsh chemicals.

Daeng Gi Meo Ri Medicinal Herb Hair Colour retails at SGD29.80 on Watsons.

13. GATSBY Natural Bleach Color

If you love hair styling, Japanese brand GATSBY would be a familiar face to you. Available in five colours, this bleach and colour duo serves to produce vivid hair colour, even on Asian hair. To lighten the damage in the bleaching stages, this cream-type dye is enriched with arginine to protect hair from further damage while amino acid treatments repair any damage done. It even contains proline for an extra moisturising effect along with positive ions and silicone for an extra sheen on your tresses. While reviewers love the colour pay off, they have expressed that to achieve pale pastel ash on dark hair, two boxes are required. Nonetheless, it is definitely still one of the best box hair dyes you can find in the market that also deliver little damage to hair.

GATSBY Natural Bleach Color retails at SGD11.30 on Watsons and Guardian.

14. Arctic Fox Semi Permanent Hair Colour

100% vegan and cruelty-free, Arctic Fox does not shy away from crafting dye pigments that are intensely saturated. The product has been hailed as one of the best DIY hair dyes around and has a 22-colour range, which includes neons and pastels. These semi-permanent dyes can be mixed to achieve the exact shade of your dreams. The brand promises that the formulation fades within the original colour spectrum ensuring that your locks remain in the same gorgeous hue. It also has moisturising properties to ensure that your hair looks and feels well-nourished even when washed with pigments. For best results, pre-lightened hair is recommended.

Arctic Fox Semi Permanent Hair Colour retails at SGD21.90 on Shopee.